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7th Annual Ripple Effect Youth Forum a Great Success

Today marked the seventh annual Ripple Effect Youth Forum which took place at the Embassy Church in Oshawa. Teens from the community, along with Youth in Policing students from Durham, Toronto, Cobourg, Hamilton, York and many more joined the all-day event. The focus was on youth issues such as bullying, racism and diversity.

The day began with CAO Stan MacLellan welcoming more than 400 students that travelled from as far as Sault Ste. Marie. Chief Paul Martin also took a moment to speak with the youth about being positive role models and leaders within their school and in their communities.

The first key note speakers of the day were from the Get Real Movement, a lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) awareness group. They spoke to students about acceptance and respect for those in the LGBTQ community. The students then broke into three groups to attend workshops focusing on policing and the challenges faced in that community.

Other key note speakers included former Toronto Argonauts football player Chuck Winters, who is an active member of the Toronto Argonauts Stop the Violence campaign and Dwayne Morgan, an inspirational spoken word poet and engaging motivational speaker. The day ended with Cristal Earl from Living Different, whose presentation focused on being the change you wish to see in the world and to value your life as well as the lives of others.

The Ripple Effect Forum is an open forum that DRPS hopes will inspire young people to make a positive impact in their community. Just as one drop of water can cause a ripple, one person can make a significant difference and inspire change for so many.